Mexico became the first billion-dollar U.S. dairy export market in 2011, the culmination of more than 15 years of broad-based market development efforts. Shipments topped $1.17 billion last year, up 41 percent from 2010 levels, according to trade data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Mexico is the largest overseas market for U.S. milk powder, cheese and ice cream, providing a vital outlet for more than 3 percent of the U.S. milk supply.

In January of this year, DeLaval hosted current and prospective customers of DeLaval VMS (Voluntary Milking System) at events in Madison, Wisconsin. The VMS PRO (Professional Robot Operators) User Group Seminar and the DeLaval VMS Freedom to Choose Tour united for a day of exchanging information and sharing experiences.

U.S. dairy suppliers capitalized on strong global markets to achieve record export sales in 2011, boosting shipments in a year when milk supplies from competing regions increased dramatically. Processors and traders moved 3.24 billion lbs. of total milk solids into export channels last year, seven percent more than 2010 and 49 percent more than 2009. Overseas shipments were valued at $4.82 billion, up 30 percent from the year before, according to government trade data released last week.

Heat stress not only affects people; it’s hard on cattle too, said a dairy industry expert. The Dairy Heat Stress Road Show, a multi-institutional effort, will hit the road this spring to help producers cope with the problem. Dr. Todd Bilby, associate professor and Texas AgriLife Extension Service dairy specialist at Stephenville, said heat stress on dairies not only affects cow comfort, but also lowers milk production and fertility, which costs the dairy industry millions of dollars annually.

University of Guelph plans new dairy research facility A new livestock research centre intended to model sustainable animal agriculture systems is being planned by the University of Guelph, the provincial government and the Ontario dairy industry. The Research and Innovation Centre, Dairy Phase, will be built at the current site of Elora Research Station in Elora, Ontario, one of the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) facilities operated by U of G under its partnership agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

In a news release, Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) Chairman Grant Roy and Holstein Canada President Paul MacLeod (pictured on the right) announced that following in-depth discussion and with the total support of their board members, their organizations will discontinue the current amalgamation plans. Progressive Dairyman Editor Karen Lee spoke with each of them to learn more about the situation and discover what the future holds for each organization.

This article was #21 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2012. to jump to the article and watch the videos. It was published in the February 13, 2012 Extra. Click here for the full list of the Top 25. Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley interviewed several dairy extension specialists in February about what they thought would make dairy news in 2012. Topics included price and availability of forage, dairy processing expansion, milk prices and immigration.